Somerville, MA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Sec. 7-253(b) of the Somerville Code of Ordinances states plainly that a residential unit offered as a short-term rental must be the operator's primary residence. Sec. 7-251 defines primary residence as a unit in which the operator resides for at least nine months out of a 12-month period, and requires the operator to demonstrate this at the time of application by showing they have resided there for nine of the past 12 months, or intend to reside there for nine of the next 12 months.

To back that up, Sec. 7-251 also defines "proof of primary residence" as a copy of the deed or lease, a driver's license or state ID, and one additional document showing residency, such as a utility bill, cable bill, or motor vehicle registration. Sec. 7-254(c)(1) requires operators to submit this proof of primary residence as part of every registration application, and Sec. 7-254(g)(3) requires a lessee-operator to submit new proof before the end of any lease that expires before the certificate does, or the certificate becomes invalid as of the lease end date.

This rule is what keeps whole apartment buildings or standalone investment condos out of Somerville's short-term rental market: a landlord who does not live in the unit cannot register it, whether as a shared unit under Sec. 7-253(g) or an autonomous unit under Sec. 7-253(h), because both classifications begin from the same primary-residence requirement.